The level of aftermarket support available for an industrial diesel engine will have a huge impact on its uptime, so it’s important to do plenty of research. Here are some of the key factors you need to consider and ask your engine supplier about:
Coverage and density: What is the availability like in your area? Is there a dealership or service provider who can reach you in good time in the event of a breakdown? This is particularly important for businesses who operate in remote locations such as mines.
Competence: When it comes to service providers, quality is just as important as quantity. It is important that your closest service provider has trained personnel, the correct tooling and the parts you need.
For more tips and suggestions on how you can improve uptime, download our Maximise Uptime guide.
Parts availability: This can be hard to evaluate from the outside, but it is important that a service provider either has the right spare parts for your engine on hand, or can easily obtain them from the manufacturer. Any delays will mean longer downtime. It is also important to always use genuine parts as these have been optimised for your engine and will not compromise on quality.
Product registration: Some engine manufacturers register and track their products so that they have a good overview of where they operate. This is really important as it enables them to ensure an adequate support network is in place. Registering all products should also help when it comes to parts availability and ensuring that the dealership has the ability to resolve any issues correctly the first time.
Oil analysis: If your aftermarket service provider can offer this service, it allows them to measure the health of the oil in your engine. This could in turn enable you to prolong your service intervals, which would result in a significant increase in uptime. An oil analysis can also detect oil degradation, abnormal wear, contamination and fuel dilution, and therefore prevent critical failures.
Service agreement: A comprehensive service agreement can offer customer value and ease of mind. If anything happens to the engine, the manufacturer will take care of it. It all depends on the level of service you require. In addition to the global warranty, some manufacturers can also offer extended coverage programmes, which give you extra years of protection for your complete package.
Call out service: In the event of a breakdown, how quickly and easily can you reach support? Some manufacturers have a 24/7 phone service, with global coverage and available in multiple languages. This ensures an instant connection to a dealership when something happens.
If you are interested in Volvo Penta’s engines we encourage you to check out our service and support offers and parts distribution network.